1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an acupressure appliance and more particularly to an acupressure appliance suitable for use in mainly removal or alleviation of the symptom of stiff shoulders.
2. Description of the Background Art
Stiff shoulders are considered to bear so-called “stiffness” which is caused by muscle fatigue. Muscle fatigue is triggered by stiffened muscles due to persistent tension of muscles in the trapezius to support the head and arm (i.e. muscles found in the area from both sides of the spine to the back of the neck (rear neck part)) and its periphery, which causes circulation failure and poor blood flow, resulting in accumulation of fatigue substances as oxygen and nutrients fail to be delivered to terminal areas. It is usually not limited to stiff shoulders but involves stiff neck.
As a remedy, an acupressure therapy has been widely practiced by chiropractors as an effective therapy.
The acupressure therapy here refers to a therapy in which a chiropractor places his fingers (i.e. finger pads) on a particular area of the patient's body and leans his weight thereon to press it. In this acupressure therapy, it is thought to be effective to apply acupressure along the interscapular regions between the scapulae and the spine and the upper scapular regions above the scapulae in the upper shoulders and further along neck muscles.
FIG. 18A shows the interscapular regions and the rear neck parts (i.e. rear part of neck muscles) along with effective pressure points (or acupressure points) as acupressure regions disclosed in Non-Patent Document (see pages 23 and 72). FIG. 18A further shows the upper scapular regions serving as pressure points (or acupressure points).
In FIG. 18A, 200 is the scapula, 202 is the interscapular region between the scapula 200 and the spine, 202a is a pressure point in the interscapular region 202.
Also in FIG. 18A, 204 is the rear neck part and 204a is a pressure point in the rear neck part 204.
Furthermore, 206 is the upper scapular region positioned above the scapula in the upper shoulder and serves as a pressure point.
FIG. 18B shows the side neck part as an acupressure region along with effective pressure points as disclosed in Non-Patent Document (see pages 48 and 22).
In FIG. 18B, 208 is the side neck part and 208a is a pressure point in the side neck part.
Note that 210 is the mastoid.
In addition to the above, there are many “acupressure points” known as effective pressure points in the vicinity of the first cervical vertebra (atlas vertebra) which is positioned uppermost in the cervical vertebra, or more precisely, in neck muscles to support the skull in the area above the pair of right and left mastoids from one side to the other side thereof.
FIG. 18C shows such acupressure points as disclosed in the following Patent Document 1.
In FIG. 18C, 211 is “fuufu” (or fengfu in the international standard acupuncture terms), 212 is “amon” (or yamen therein), 214 is “tenchuu” (or tianzhu therein) and 216 is “fuuchi” (or fengchi therien).
It is, however, often difficult to receive acupressure treatment by chiropractors all the time or immediately when having the symptom of stiff shoulders.
Thus, various kinds of acupressure appliances have been proposed to allow users to apply acupressure treatment by themselves.
For example, the following Patent Document 1 discloses an acupressure appliance 310 as shown in FIGS. 19A, 19B, wherein a plurality of pin-like acupressure rods 306-1, 306-2 and 306-3 each of which has a non-slip material 304 in the upper end thereof is provided in a base board 303 made of a substrate 300 and a bolster base 302, the height of the rods are increased from the center position to both ends, and legs 308 made of an elastic body are provided under the substrate 300.
When this acupressure appliance 310 is used, the acupressure points 211, 212, 214 and 216 and/or peripheries thereof in the vicinity of the atlas vertebra which is positioned uppermost in the cervical vertebra as shown in FIG. 18C are pressed with each of the acupressure rods 306-1, 306-2 and 306-3.
The following Patent Document 2 also discloses a sound sleep pillow 312 as shown in FIGS. 20A, 20B for removing the symptom of stiff shoulders and eyestrain by stimulating acupressure points in the neck part and on both sides thereof when a user lies on his back, wherein acupressure points on both sides of the neck part are stimulated with convex parts 318 formed on both sides of a semicircular concave part 316 which is formed on the upper surface of a pillow main body 314.
The following Patent Document 3 further discloses an acupressure appliance 319 for neck as shown in FIGS. 21A, 21B to enable pressing acupressure points in the neck (i.e. “fuuchi”) in a posture of lying on the back in a configuration that a pillow portion 322 and a pedestal 326 for protruding shafts 324 are formed into a dogleg shape and allowed to turn around a fulcrum 328 with respect to a pedestal 320 of a main body.
The following Patent Document 4 also discloses an acupressure appliance 340 as shown in FIGS. 22A, 22B, 22C, wherein a pair of rectangular columns 332, 332 is erected on the upper surface of a substrate 330 and upper end surfaces of the rectangular columns 332 are molded into smooth projecting curved surfaces 334 on which cover cloths 338 with cotton 336 as a cushion material are arranged.
This acupressure appliance 340 is considered to be effective in improvement of stiff shoulders and stimulation of blood circulation to the head part by bringing the upper ends of the rectangular columns 332 into contact with the base of neck muscles of a user who lies on his back under 342 in usage.
However, none of these appliances disclosed in the above Patent Documents is suitable for pressing muscles in the interscapular regions 202, the upper scapular regions 206 and the rear neck parts 204 as shown in FIG. 18A and the side neck parts 208 as shown in FIG. 18B or other body parts because they are configured mainly for the purpose of pressing acupressure points in the vicinity of the atlas vertebra as shown in FIG. 18C.